"Edgar Pangborn - A Mirror for Observers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pangborn Edgar)

arctic gear. "So long, children. Keep your noses clean."

"?" said Elmis, and entered contemplation, head on his knees.

Presently Drozma sighed. "A time factor, Elmis, or I wouldn't interrupt your thought.
Would the name 'Benedict Miles' suit you?"

" 'Miles' тАФ yes, a nice anagram. Urgent, sir?"

"Maybe. A human child becomes a man more swiftly than one can write a poem. Is your
work in such state that you can leave it?"

"Someone else can always go on with it, Drozma."

"Tell me more about it."

"Still tracing ethical concepts as lines of growth. Trying to see through the froth of
conflicts, wars, migrations, social cleavages, ideologies. I was restudying Confucius when
you called me."
"Tentative conclusions?"

"A few, confirming your own intuition of a hundred years ago: that a genuine ethical
revolution тАФ comparable to the discovery of fire, of agriculture, of social awareness тАФ
might be in progress about 31,000, and might develop for the necessary centuries. The
germs are present. Hard to see, but certainly present, just as the germ of society was
latent in pre-language family groups. Of course one can make no allowance for such
unpredictables as atomic war, pestilence, a too sudden rise in the water level. Fortunately
the dream of security is a human weakness we needn't share. As a very rash prediction,
Drozma, I think Union with them might be possible late in my son's lifetime."

"Truly. . . ? Seems very soon, but it's a refreshing thought. Well, here's your mission.
Observer Kajna came home yesterday. She was overdue, and with the worst of the
journey ahead of her, when she had to wait on a train connection in Latimer тАФ that's a
small city in Massachusetts. She spent the time in a park. A nice old gentleman was
feeding the pigeons and talking to a boy about twelve years old. Kajna caught the
Martian scent. She renewed her scent-destroyer, listened in on the conversation from
another bench. The old man was Namir. She'd seen him once using a similar disguise in
Hamburg, years ago. You know we try to keep track of the Abdicators so long as it
doesn't interfere with more important work. Kajna happens to feel rather strongly about
them. She wanted to follow Namir, she had to get home to us soon, and as she listened
a third necessity developed. In the end, when the old man and the boy went different
ways, Kajna followed the boy, not Namir. Followed him to a lodging house where he
lives. She inquired about a room, enough to start a conversation, pick up a few facts.
The boy is the landlady's only child тАФ Angelo Pontevecchio. The landlady, Rosa
Pontevecchio, is тАФ Kajna used the term 'sweet-minded.' Not much education, and on a
very different psychophysical level; a fat woman in poor health. Kajna saw and
empathized enough to suggest valvular heart disease, but wasn't sure. Well, then Kajna
came home. Used her own judgment. As you will have to do."

"And Namir?"